TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 10

[avalonmods]

{ QUICK NAV } Premise ⚔️️ Rules ⚔️️ FAQ ⚔️️ Taken ⚔️️ Reserves ⚔️️ Apply ⚔️️ Locations ⚔️️ Bestiary ⚔️️ Top-Levels Only ⚔️️ SUMMARY: New arrivals drop into the lake and have to climb up a cliff to the Rent a Ride, where they are given their device and some headphones and can retrieve their personal materials. They travel to Camelot, which is a multiple day journey, so they stop at the Red Springs along the way and stay at an inn there. A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's still chilly, but not enough that you can't manage on your own. The Lady of the Lake is swimming around under the water, helping to rescue any wayward travelers who look like they're struggling in the water. This month's helpers are giant pillow jellies, a species of jellyfish that is capable of ballooning itself at the surface to create bouncy pads for characters to hop across to the shore, should they choose or not be able to swim. They come in a variety of bioluminescent colors, but do not seem to be very talkative even to animal magic users. Those who try may find themselves being ignored, even if they hear the jellies talking amongst themselves about this and that. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly. (Though.. given how hot and muggy the weather is this first week, maybe you might want to ask him to toss you right back into the lake where the waters are still cool.) *Reminder: Your character's familiar may or may not be with your character in their initial plunge. If the familiar isn't partial to water, it may meet your character on the beach or sit atop their head while they swim. Or if they are, they might splash about and swim alongside your character. Familiars have different personalities and body specs and we leave those up to the players. B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go. These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console with whole coconuts filled with tropical drinks and topped with tiny umbrellas. Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, margaritas, mai tais, and more... all frosty and in the spirit of keeping you cool during the sunny month of August. (Naturally, virgin editions are available for the underaged.) Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk. C ⦿ The Red Spring The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Because of the volume of new arrivals and vacationers, inn rooms are assigned two-to-a-room. The rooms have two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and a few free movies. If you don't want to relax in the room, try taking a dip in the spring for another chance to meet your fellow travelers. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly when drunk. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there. SUMMARY: The first attempt at using the mounts to travel en-masse up to fae territory is filled with problems: mandrake sprouts caused by recent murders drumming up requests to dig them up, two titanic creatures face off in the lake and catch characters in a maelstrom, and a mysterious underwater town with a strange curse being good neighbors with a last minute save... at a slight risk: becoming a merperson, naga, or cecaelian for a little while. With communications with Elphame in Celliwig disrupted by specters and Arthur temporarily decommissioned, the Hall of Mirrors is temporarily off limits for cleansing rituals. Celliwig has encouraged people to return to Camelot for the time being, which is just as well with all the newcomers flooding in. Last month's new arrivals through the old guard got an introduction to the new aquatic mounts and there are now plenty of people versed in how to handle and work with the magical alpacapies, mossatees, and deinosuchus. As scout parties head out further, there are a few problems that they've run into that need a helping hand from Camelot's otherworldly population. A ⦿ A Mandraconian Task Just as volunteers are asked to bring supplies for the journey to fae territory, a series of grisly murders involving strung up corpses appears around town (see this month's quest, "Not-So-Good Morning" for more details), and the dripping blood and fluids of these corpses seeps into the ground to give birth to strange, leafy plants that sprout leaves in all directions at once. They're small, and the locals seem weary of them, but ultimately they're breaking up pathways and making them into trip hazards... the locals recognize these plants as mandrake root, which is known in different cultures for... very different things. The mandrake root is a cursed plant that screams in a way that curdles blood enough to kill small creatures if they're too close and make a grown person go deaf. The reason anyone would pull them up however... well, their magical properties are astounding. It is said that Joan of Arc carried one in her possession to give her the power to take control of her own fate. Some religions claim that it has the ability to restore a person's fertility, and before clever manufacturers started using the name for tomatoes, Islamic tradition called the "apples of the jinn" and cause strong bouts of lust. Needless to say, a good many people are cautious about pulling them up, but more than willing to offer a fair sum of money to a newcomer who can get them out of the ground. The cause of their sprouting may be tragic, but there's no way that you're going to make it through town center with trip supplies without getting pulled aside and asked to help harvest the mandrake roots for a pretty penny... or maybe you're interested yourself. Either way, it may behoove you to practice a little magic with a friend to try to get them up. B ⦿ Clash of the Titans Finally everyone has gotten going and a mixture of brave Camelot citizens, Celliwigians, and otherworlders have headed back to Albion's White Cliffs to take off with their mounts (and partners... you're going to have to ride with someone, there aren't enough mounts for everyone to get their own!) and things are going well. It's about two days into the waters of Lake Avalon that things start to send a chill down your spine. Back on land, even for the first two days there, the weather had been hot and sunny, a beautiful summery start to August, but as the party starts to approach the southern banks of Dinas Emrys, they see a gargantuan beast run at bewildering speeds off the land and straight across the surface of the lake. The creature appears to be some kind of centipede formed of black clouds and lightning that illuminates its exoskeleton from inside of its body in deep purple and blue hues. Each of its legs kicks up a titanic wave headed straight for the party of explorers as it charges towards its target, what appears to be a tsunami wave containing a dark, shadowy figure emerging at least twenty stories above the water. The only part of it that isn't black are the blank, soulless eyes. As the lightning bug monster charges what some may recognize as an umibozu, it crashes into the tsunami wave and all three fall asunder... which is bad news for the traveling party, as the waters are now extremely choppy and lighting up with charges of the centipede's lightning. The result? As the two monsters dive down below the water, a maelstrom forms in their path and starts sucking everyone down! C ⦿ Fresh Waters Anyone who manages to escape the maelstrom will find that their mounts aren't moving forward this time around and are heading back where they came from, even with lost supplies. You may find yourself having to switch mounts with others nearby or talking to a strange beachball on the back of the alpacapie that's carrying your ass back to the White Cliffs... Or if you weren't so lucky, you may find yourself waking up on a slightly different shore. An underwater shore. An underwater town, in fact. After the initial panic of realizing that you're not drowning when you wake up settles in, you'll realize that you seem to be able to breathe underwater just fine. In fact, the real panic is probably about to start when you realize that like the fine people of this town that saved you, you've been temporarily gifted gills and a bottom lower half of either a merperson, a naga, or a cecaelia. Your caretaker, a nurse of the local town, offers the explanation that the only way to save everyone from drowning was to pull them into their territory, which is cursed to turn them all into sea monsters. Not to worry though, as long as you leave before the sun sets on the third day, you'll turn back to normal just fine. ...Though, they're not really sure when that was or if they battle is over, so you should probably find your friends and any possessions you had with you and start heading toward the surface. Not too much time to explore this strange, underwater town... especially since you don't have much practice not having legs to get you up to the surface. Don't worry, if you don't make it out in time, the Lady of the Lake will come fetch you... though perhaps not in time, so you may need to spend some time back in Camelot seeking out someone to break a curse. SUMMARY:After the recent event, people need to recover and heal. So Camelot's castle opens its doors for an open house, a swap meet and poetry battle auction, and a healing circle ritual. Arthur is injured and recovering, and news has spread on social media about it. There are lots of well-wishers and gifts being sent to the castle... enough that there's just too much for Arthur to do anything with it. He needs time to recover and rest and not be bothered, and as such declares that all those who need it shall share in the wealth and generosity of those wishing him well. The abundance (Especially from guilty Celliwigians who didn't realize what was happening right under their own noses) results in a few things happening... A ⦿ Open House Camelot's castle halls open up to all those who would like to come. Invitations are sent and a feast is prepared. A huge table with all manner of foods from different cultures is prepared. The only thing they ask is that you stay out of the wing of the castle that Arthur is resting in, as he is not available right now. Try new foods made from recipes from all around the different worlds or invite yourself to use the castle's royal public baths, remodeled from more ancient styles to include cool things like old architecture mixing with jacuzzi jets and waterfall shower rooms. There's even a water slide. It's more a water park than anything... Explore the library (except for the forbidden section, which has a very powerful magical barrier preventing entry-- even trying to tamper with it could result in your character glowing colors by their mood as punishment for messing with the magic). Those are dangerous texts in there! There's even a live show with a magician! Which sounds lame, but he's more or less showing off his skills in tricks, knife skills, and has a mean comedy routine to go with it. He's even willing to teach lucky volunteers how to escape death-defying stunts... hopefully. You may want to bring a buddy for backup. Or perhaps you're more interested in heading out to explore the rose gardens or finding a place to stay for the evening... don't worry, if you've had too much to drink or simply tired yourself out, you're welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms during this open house celebration. B ⦿ Swap Meet Not interested in exploring the castle? Well perhaps you'll enjoy the open-market bazaar that seems to have set up in the courtyard. All kinds of oddities are being exchanged in the castle courtyard and you may just find something rare.. or maybe it's a piece of crap. It's hard to tell, and the chances of getting swindled are just as high as the chances of getting an antique masterpiece. There is an auction for those willing to pay more for authenticity, but auctions in Camelot go a little bit differently... to win art, you must first prove yourself worthy of art-- all bid submissions must be performed in stanza. Haikus, rap, short poems-- all are valid, as long as they follow the rules of your chosen form of poetry and express why your bid deserves the win. The last person to falter wins their right to pay their bid, with at least 10,000G upped with each poetic rebuttal. C ⦿ Healing Circle After Party It's good to take care of yourself with a little fun, but if you're still stressed, hurt, traumatized, mildly upset, hung over, or just want to feel better about yourself, consider joining in some of the local witches and wizards in a meditative healing ritual. Step one: Gather herbs from the castle gardens. They've got all kinds, but you're looking for things like yarrow, apple blossoms, cinnamon, and lemon balm. Once you've gathered your herbs, join in the silent meditation circle with an available partner. Anyone is fine, but once you've entered the circle with someone, it's very important that you do not make any noise. Silence is important, and as you burn each of your herbs with your partner, you'll find that the smoke forms a barrier that surrounds the two of you. Put your hands together, and focus on the source of your pain. You will share your emotions with the person you're performing the spell with. They will feel everything you feel in that moment, and be able to share the burden without having to speak of or share what caused this pain. With the pain lightened, you will find that the smoke lights up and dissipates up at the top. Whether or not you choose to share with your newfound partner... well, that's up to you, but they sure are going to know how you're feeling right now, and that definitely wasn't warned about when you were asked to join the healing circle. MOD NOTES: • All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, but this post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

[admiralchiss]

"It's nice to meet you too, Hanabi." Thrawn believed it was important to not be condescending to kids, no matter how young they were. Certainly Thrawn had interacted with more than a few children her age, or even younger, and he always made sure to treat them with respect.

"You will also find that you have been given the ability to use magic, thanks to an animal partner known as a familiar. I myself can command and manipulate light and technology."

[usedforcepalm]

"Is this world's magic the reason I can't use my Byakugan?" Realizing a moment later that he wouldn't know what that was, Hanabi elaborated. "My clan's eyes have special abilities, but I can't seem to make them work."

Though she was doing her best to behave maturely and maintain a calm demeanour, she couldn't quite conceal how much it troubled her to be unable to tap into the ability that was practically second nature for her. But then, it was like finding one's eyesight suddenly greatly diminished.

[admiralchiss]

"I'm afraid so." While Thrawn had no Force abilities or magical powers back in his home universe, he did feel a disadvantage in the way his eyes no longer saw in the infrared. "That is why it would be wise to learn how to use your new abilities, so you may have a means of defense."

Thrawn could see the hints of worry on her, despite her remarkable job at keeping calm. He figured that what she needed was a safe, calm adult, like himself. "I know this can be a stressful situation. The caravan meeting ground will have food and drink, as well as activities and information."

[usedforcepalm]

While it was distressing to not be able to access that ability, at least she understood why, and that helped a little. Perhaps there were others who'd found themselves in a similar situation, and if they were able to overcome it, then she could work past it as well.

"Did it take long to learn what kind of magic you had?" The sooner she learned what she was capable of, the sooner she could work on developing them.

"Food and drink would be nice. Do they sell weapons around here? I don't seem to have mine with me. Kunai would be best, but any knife or dagger is all right."

[admiralchiss]

"No, I was able to learn about my new magic once I received this," Thrawn pulled out his smart phone. "You should receive one at the caravan meeting place as well. It will allow you to contact a support system, and they can answer any questions you may have about what sort of magic you now have. As for weapons, you may have to wait until you reach town before being able to buy any."

[usedforcepalm]

"Will you show me what your magic looks like when it's being used, please?" Hanabi asked politely.

While a demonstration wouldn't tell her anything about what sort of magic she might have found herself with, she was curious as to what sort of magic was possible in this world. She would ask all the questions people were willing to tolerate from her, and investigate, but a live demonstration painted a much clearer picture.

Besides, if she was going to be stuck in a strange world filled with magic, she wanted to see something cool.

[admiralchiss]

"I would love to." A yellow lizard with four black eyes suddenly ran up his leg and rested on his shoulders, like it belonged there. Thrawn held his hand at about waist-level, palm up. Several marble-sized balls of light appeared in his hand and spiraled around, like a tiny solar system. He let it last for a few seconds, before the light shifted and turned into a glowing cube, which he held in his hand. He ran his thumb over the side, so she could see that it was solid light.

"I can also bend the light." The cube faded and Thrawn turned invisible for a few seconds. Turning invisible still took slightly more effort.

[usedforcepalm]

Asking was definitely worth it. Despite her prior confusion and distress, a little smile formed on her face as she watched the little spheres and then the cube.

When he turned invisible, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, that's interesting. Thank you. The part where you turned invisible is a bit like something that people can do with genjutsu in my home." It occurred to her a moment later that she should elaborate. "Genjutsu is different kinds of illusions and things that affect the mind."

[admiralchiss]

"Interesting. In my world, creating illusions is something that is done with technology or illegal substances that cause hallucinations." He once looked into cloaking technology, only to find that the Empire never took it out of the prototype stage because there were too many drawbacks that made it impracticable.

[usedforcepalm]

Hanabi nodded as he explained. She was quiet for a moment before a question occurred to her. Food might be offered at the caravan, but that was no guarantee of food in the future.

"Are there any rules about how old you have to be to get a job here?"

[admiralchiss]

"I don't believe so. I've seen children apply for jobs here, though you may also be paid for attending school." Thrawn felt that education was important, thus he let her know that she didn't have to choose between either a job or school. Though Thrawn knew that there were places that would hire kids for after-school jobs, if the kid wanted to do both.

[usedforcepalm]

"I should probably go to school here so I can learn about the world and about magic," Hanabi said thoughtfully. "A job delivering things could be a good way to learn my way around."

It was something she'd have to inquire about, after she'd adjusted a little more to this world. She was still not happy about the fact that she was stuck here in a strange place, but she appreciated Thrawn's calm and helpful explanations.

"Is there any way at all to get a message to our home worlds using the magic from this one? My father and my sister will be worried about me."

[admiralchiss]

"A wise decision." Having a job could teach the value of hard work, but he felt that it was best to not put that above learning and being educated.

He frowned as she asked her next question, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not. Communication with your world is impossible here." He asked that same thing. He knew that the Chimaera was in fine hands, and he'd taught his crew to handle things without him there, but he had still wanted to contact Faro and let her know that he was fine. No such luck.

[usedforcepalm]

"Oh, I see." She couldn't quite hide the disappointment she felt, even if it was a possibility she'd considered. The best she could do was try to be controlled about it and not make a fuss over something that was out of her control. An heiress of a noble clan needed to behave like it.

Instead, since Thrawn was willing to answer her questions, she took the opportunity to pursue more answers. She tried to think of other information that might be important to know.

"So, if there's a caravan that helps people from other worlds, are most of the citizens here fine with people like us being here?"

[admiralchiss]

She was quite mature for her age. While her disappointment was clear, she wasn't raising a fuss about it and was trying to be strong in the face of her current situation. She reminded him of some of the Chiss girls that he'd worked with during his career with the CDF.

"Most of Camelot's citizens do not seem to have any issues with us," And Thrawn couldn't see any hint of an underlying resentment from them.

[usedforcepalm]

"What about the ones who do have a problem with us? Have they attacked anyone, or do they just do things like refuse us service at stores and say rude things?"

Threat assessment was important, after all. Though she'd only just met him, Thrawn seemed like an intelligent person who would have paid attention to details like that.

[admiralchiss]

"I have yet to see anyone be attacked by a citizen of Camelot, or denied service. If there is anyone who does not like us, they seem to keep it to themselves." They seemed to understand the reason for why the outsiders were here, and that they had an important task. Thrawn couldn't see how anyone would have a problem with them, and certainly he hadn't gone through anything comparable to the Empire's xenophobia.

[usedforcepalm]

"Oh, that's good, then."

Important purpose or not, she could imagine some people having objections to a bunch of strangers in their land. If they weren't making an issue of it, so much the better. Perhaps they simply aimed to have minimal interaction with newcomers.

"Are there a lot of dangerous things, here?"

[admiralchiss]

"Indeed there are," Thrawn felt it was best to be honest, since she seemed mature enough and it was better for her to find out right away than be unprepared later. "The city is usually safe, but sometimes things happen that require our intervention, be it a monster or strange phenomenon. Many places outside the city limits are also quite dangerous, and that is why it is best if you have someone with you if you choose to go on quests."

[usedforcepalm]

"That makes sense," said Hanabi with a nod. "Three or four person teams are most common for missions where I come from. Especially for people who've just graduated from the Academy."

She would have to get her hands on some weapons - after she learned how to use whatever type of magic she had. Just like with any skill, it would take practice and study to become good at it. In the meantime, there were other skills she had at her disposal.

"Do you go on quests, Thrawn?"

[admiralchiss]

"Indeed I do." Just because he didn't have any ships to command didn't mean he couldn't make himself useful. Thrawn wasn't one to sit about when there was work to be done. He was a warrior. "There are various types of quest to be done, and can vary between simply gathering an item, to fighting dangerous beasts or venturing into unsafe locations."

[usedforcepalm]

"Will you go on a quest with me sometime, please? Aside from martial arts training with my clan, I've had survival and espionage training at the Academy."

If nothing else, she was confident she wouldn't be a burden and that she could properly contribute on missions, whether they were combative or not. He also seemed like someone she could learn a lot from, and she was only a year shy of being eligible for graduation from the Academy. Perhaps in a year's time she'd be able to find a way home.

[admiralchiss]

Thrawn graced her with a faint smile. "Of course. You need only ask and I will assist you." Assuming he wasn't busy with his own quests, or had things to do that couldn't wait. He was admittedly curious to see how she fought without magic.